Research Action Plan Update

The purpose of my action research plan is to determine the effectiveness of how the North East School District administers the standardized benchmark test.  So far when I begin discussing my research plan people think that I am trying to abolish the benchmark; that is not my intention.  I am trying to determine if there is a better way to administer the test in order to maximize the results it has on student testing.  I have learned through meetings with administrators and subject deans that the district itself is trying to come up with a better way already when administering the benchmark.  In talking to former and present fellow teachers I am learning that the top concern is the time it takes away from student learning. Many feel that there is a better way to administer the benchmark where it does not take away so much classroom time and does a better job of measuring student success.  I was lucky enough to set in on a conference that dealt with the selection of questions for the math benchmark.  It was interesting to witness the disagreements surrounding the weight placed on each TEKS that had to be addressed.  I have been able to collect data on past test results but as of today not been able to study the results.  I also am currently involved in sending out my surveys and hope to get those results soon.  My next step in the process will be to set down and put all my data collection together and begin deciphering it to see if indeed there is a need to reassess how the benchmark is presented to the students.

Class in Review

It has been twenty years since I actually did any type of research. This entire class was a topic of new learning. I never knew that action research even existed. At the beginning of the class I was a little intimidated by the whole process. However, after diving in and discovering the benefits to action research compared to traditional research I now have a new appreciation for research. I find that action research is more structured than traditional research and I now feel it will become a part of my professional growth.

I feel that there are many things in this course that will help me in the future. I will discuss three. The first would be the creation of a blog.  I always knew the benefit of using a blog but was never aware of how to create a blog.  Now I will be able to setup blogs for different reasons and hopefully be able to better myself as an educator.  Second, the assignment which involved completing the research plan template was very instrumental in showing me the importance of planning.  Before the assignment I was not sure how I would be able to complete the research.  After the assignment I now feel very confident that I have prepared myself through planning allowing for success.  Thirdly,  the reading assignments which cover all the different aspects of action research has allowed me the opportunity to insure that all bases are covered when not only completing the research but also making sure that the cycle of action research is continued to hopefully improve the student learning on my campus and in my district.

Tools which have been very helpful in this class obviously must start with the discussion board.  Having the ability to read what other colleagues are considering and also to gain their opinions on my topic is very beneficial to my success.  The blog is another tool which I do plan on continuing the use of and possibly expanding its role to better improve my action research efforts.

Again, this course has allowed me to put at ease any fears I had concerning research.  I cannot help but feel that all educators would benefit from this course whether as a class or as a professional development course.  I will now go to teacher inservice this next week as we prepare for a new school year with something to share with my colleagues and hopefully make my school more effective and efficient in regards to student learning.

At the recommendation of my site supervisor I will remove the action parent surveys from my action plan.

Action Research Plan Template

Action Planning Template
Goal: Is to change the process of administering the Math benchmark tests in the NEISD.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Will set the foundation	Kelly Parker	8/20/12	Will inform fellow teachers at departmental meeting	Want teachers to understand my objective and seek assistance from any volunteers
Access copies of the schedule for administering the benchmarks and the actual STAAR and TAKS test	Erin Ibarra – Math Dean at C.T. Johnson High School	7/26/12 – 8/2/12	Testing Schedule for 2012-2013 in NEISD Secondary schools	Determining number of instructional days lost for testing.
Compare benchmark grades with assessment grades from same school year for students in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Exit Level students	Kelly Parker	8/6/12-9/6/12	Compass resource data base through NEISD.	Looking to see if benchmark grades are lower, higher, or same as assessment grades.
Teacher surveys	Kelly Parker	9/6/12-10/6/12	Teachers from Math department at C.T.  Johnson High School	Looking for teacher’s point of view as to how effective is the process in giving the benchmark. Is there a better solution?
Student surveys	Kelly Parker and teachers from the selected math courses	9/6/12-10/6/12	Students from the selected classes	Looking for student’s point of view as to how effective is the process in giving the benchmark. Is there a better solution?
Parent Surveys	Kelly Parker	9/6/12-10/6/12	Parents of students from the selected classes	Looking for parent’s point of view as to how effective is the process in giving the benchmark. Is there a better solution?
Look outside the district for data and info	Kelly Parker	10/6/12-11/6/12	Former colleagues from other districts in the region	Trying to determine if other districts measure their student’s progress by other means than the benchmark.
Research data from online resources	Kelly Parker	10/6/12-11/6/12	Will search Google as well as AASA, NASSP, NAESP, as well as others.	Attempt to find other opinions regarding benchmarks.
Accumulating data	Kelly Parker	11/6/12- ?	Will begin putting all data together into reader friendly format for presentation	Have I done enough?  Will step back and determine if what I have done is enough to reach my objective.
Search for problems that may affect solution	Kelly Parker	?-?	Will discuss with on-site advisor and school Principal possible problems.	Are there problems and if so how can they be rectified?
Determine true effect of changing process of administering the benchmark	Kelly Parker	?-?	Is a total change district wide going to insure better performance on the year end assessments?	How have different processes resulted in other districts?
Monitoring results to insure sustained improvement	Kelly Parker	School year 2013-2014	Has the new approach resulted in better performance?	Student scores

Research Plan Description

Changing the process our district uses to administer mathematics benchmark tests is my action research goal. The question which guides all inquiry is ' What effect does the current process of administering the mathematics benchmark test have on standardized test results at the high school level in the North East ISD?'. My target population will be students in algebra 1, geometry, and juniors from 2011-2012. My on site supervisor wants this presented to central office personnel if the findings are as predicted. This is the reason for such a large sample. Research data will be collected from test scores as well as teacher and student interviews. If anyone knows of other means of data I can look at please let me know.

Using blogs

There are several ways if not many that an educational leader could use blogs.  A leader might use blogs as a way to get a feel for the pulse the teachers concerning a particular issue on campus.  Blogs could be used as a survey tool or a way to broadcast successes and accomplishments on campus.  A leader may also use blogs as a way to communicate the every day happenings in a district.  An example of this is the weekly blog sent out each week by the NEISD superintendent as a way to keep everyone informed and allows responses through comments by the entire district staff.

Putting my fears to rest

When I first heard about action research I was like a lot of other people and imagined the worst.  All I could think about was RESEARCH.  It brought back some bad memories and I was dreading what might come next. However, as I began reading the Dana text my fears were put to rest.  Being able to substitute the word inquiry in place of research was something that peaked my interest.  I am a true believer in asking questions and asking for other peoples thoughts on given issues.  I believe more can be accomplished with collaborative inquiries or research than can be accomplished through traditional development.  As I was reading the text for this week my mind was racing with  trying to find an issue on campus that I can begin applying action research  in order to arrive at solutions such as the  tardy issue, absentee problems, better reaching the ESL student, over use of benchmarks just to name a few.  Trying to think of my fellow educators, students, parents, and others that could help in this process really has me excited about this assignment.  I really can see myself doing this action research from the very beginning of school this year not only to improve my classroom, but hopefully the campus and district as well.